Washington, D.C. – Attorney General Jeff Sessions nullified a letter yesterday issued by the Obama-era Justice Department that provided resources for local court officials to reform practices around criminal justice fees and fines, which have contributed to the problem of mass incarceration in America. It’s the latest in a series of decisions by Sessions and the Trump Administration that have undercut commonsense, reform-oriented moves in recent years.

“This is a disappointing decision that supports criminalizing poverty,” said Lauren-Brooke Eisen, senior counsel in the Brenan Center’s Justice Programand author of Charging Inmates Perpetuates Mass Incarceration. “Fees and fines are frequently levied against individuals who can’t afford to pay. It’s a perverse, profit-based framework that helps spin the revolving door of the criminal justice system.”